Renegades
by Writer207
Summary: "Long live the pioneers, rebels, and mutineers. Go forth and have no fear. Come closer, the end is near." / There are many stories left untold. Stories of heroes and villains, stories of friendship and betrayal, that shaped the world into what it had become, allowing the alliance to claim victory. One-shot tie-in series to 'Warriors'. T for occasional (extreme) evil (DISCONTINUED)
1. The Hangman's tree

**Hello, everyone! Welcome to Renegades, the tie-in story to 'Warriors'. If you haven't read that story, don't let that discourage you - I promise you will be able to understand what's going on. This is a series of one-shots detailing different events that happened before and after 'Warriors'. There will be twenty-four one-shots in total, all varying in length. This story will be sporadically updated, which means you'll have to wait a minimum of a couple of days to a maximum of one month.**

 **Anyway, I've said enough now. You're here to read the story, not my AN. So, without further ado, here it is. Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Neverland truly is the land of opportunities. It is not connected to the mainland of Auradon in any way, so it could easily be overrun by someone with bad intentions and nobody on the mainland would notice something was off. What made this island also attractive, was that it had this certain element of darkness and grimness. There was the Mermaid's Lagoon, with its treacherous waves and sharp rocks. Skull Island lay nearby as well, and that name alone just screams 'evil'. But there was one other place within Neverland everyone thinks of nowadays, once they hear the name of the island. That location is the Hangman's tree.

When the villains first broke free from the Isle of the Lost, some decided to charge at Auradon and see what happened. The others, luckily, could stop them before they betrayed their position to the heroes. Together, with every last man, they traveled to Neverland. Their first instinct was to claim the island for their own, finally receiving a larger living space, that was also much more enjoyable to live on. They still thought of getting their revenge – that one thought always lingered in the back of their mind. While they were on Neverland, they could easily take the island first.

They completely surprised Peter Pan and his friends, capturing them as soon as they found them. Captain Hook had the honor of taking Peter's life. Tiger Lily and some of her tribe tried to cross the ocean to Auradon, to warn them – they had banned all electronics from Neverland – but Ursula dragged them to the depths of the ocean. Tinkerbell and her fairies unanimously decided to go into hiding, to be never found again. The Lost Boys, who were given the opportunity to join their course, refused this chance. As a response, the villains strung them up to the Hangman's tree, which finally earned its given name. They left the corpses there to rot and as a warning.

The villains decided to give Auradon a warning. Watch the Hangman's tree, they said, spreading visions of the Lost Boys across the country. The Lost Boys lost their lives opposing us, they said. Do not stand in our way, they said. The people spread this message until everyone in Auradon knew about the message the villains, led by Maleficent.

While the villains were taking over Neverland, Ursula took back the seas. Her minions quickly took control of the sea in her name, and she converted some people to her cause with the help of a little magic. Ursula herself was occupied fighting both Triton and Poseidon. Triton was killed, but Poseidon survived and left the ocean. Ursula slaughtered all of Triton's family in the seas. Ariel survived this because she was on the mainland, living together with Eric and her young daughter Melody. If she wanted to stay alive a little longer, she had to remain on the mainland.

With control of both the seas and Neverland, the only possible safe haven the heroes could have, the villains flooded the mainland. Wherever they went, the civilians let them take control of their part of the country, the image of the Hangman's tree ingrained into their mind. Every now and again, there was an idiot who dared to oppose the villains. These idiots usually lost their lives, being hanged to remind the crowd once again of the Hangman's tree.

Before their deaths, most of them would pray to the gods on Olympus for help, for salvation. Poseidon, after his battle with Ursula, returned to Mount Olympus to tell his brother Zeus, King of the Gods, about what was going on, wondering what could be done about it. the Gods had promised not to interfere with what the mortals were doing to their world. Hades had sworn the same thing, and as of that moment, he had not done anything to help the villains. And so Zeus decreed it that as long as Hades did not support the villains with some power in any way, they would not interfere in the war either. Most gods and goddesses agreed with this and listened to their King. But there were few who went down to earth, to help in small, nearly undetectable ways, to walk among the humans and inspire hope within them.

But even when the gods stayed out of the fight, the heroes could not, as they were the targets. They heard about Ursula and Hook, about the silence of the gods. They knew they were dead as soon as a villain would find them. Most of them fled their homes, hoping to evade death for as long as they possibly could. This did not guarantee their safety and more often than it, it proved to be fatal. Jasmine, for example, was running away from Jafar, who only wanted to capture here. With one ill-cast spell, a building collapsed on her and she died. Tarzan and Jane stayed in the forests most of their time, but Clayton and his band of hunters picked up on their trails. Jane was shot dead first. This caused Tarzan to go berserk. He took down a lot of hunters before he, too, with at least seven bullets in him, died. Quasimodo was tracked down in a similar fashion, being followed by some of Frollo's friends in the clergy. He made a miscalculation, he thought he could land on the roof on the other side if he jumped. He landed on the hard ground and never moved again.

Then, there were the heroes who tried to fight off the villains that pursued them. Dr. Facilier found Phoebus, who urged a pregnant Esmeralda to make a run for it. He eventually could persuade her to go and not to fight herself. Esmeralda would never see her husband again because Facilier gave Phoebus's life to his friends on the other side as a payment. Hercules himself faced off against Shere Kahn, Scar, and the hyenas. Even with his strength, he couldn't hold off the wild beasts and got shred in pieces, while his father watched from above. Eric came across Shan Yu by accident, and they held the sword fight of the century. It ended with a victorious Shan Yu and a sword sticking out of Eric's chest.

While all of this was going on, most of these heroes disappeared. Those were the heroes that fled in the first place. Some of them tried to reintegrate into society, albeit under a different name and different appearances. Others found each other again and formed what would be the first iteration of the alliance, then only known as a secret society of the heroes and their allies, to hide from their common enemies: the villains.

After a couple of months, all of the heroes had either gone into hiding or were dead. Everything went back to the way it was for the civilians. The only thing that shifted was their governor, who would now be one of the villains that invaded their land. Hook took control of Neverland, Skull Island and the Isle of the Lost. Ursula was the supreme leader of the seas and oceans. Hades only wanted a seat on Mount Olympus. Zeus granted him this seat and the permission to hang out at Olympus. Hades did not take any territory, since he believed the mortals were weak and stupid – he'd rather rule the dead than the living, anyway. The rest of the country was equally divided among all the villains, while Maleficent received the biggest piece of land.

Things went back to normal, but their fear and terror remained. Over the years, the Hangman's tree became synonymous with dying heroes, and later with dying for the heroes or a cause. Many civilians started to use it in their daily lives, telling their kids they were going to the Hangman's tree if they didn't do what the authority figure, be it parent or villain, told them to do. The children, born during or a year or two before the uprising of the villains, only shrugged it off as an idiom derived from a lugubrious tale their parents told them to scare. They did not think too much of the tale.

But the adults did, and the adults knew what happened there. The villains knew, as well as their minions. And the Hangman's tree? That tree, in which still hung the nooses that killed the Lost Boys, was now a sacred place. For that was the place where they had their victory. That was the place where their reign truly began. A reign of terror, fear, and evil.


	2. Home

**Hey, guys! Here's the second chapter of 'Renegades', coming now sooner than I expected. Something I forgot to mention last time is that the one-shots are written in chronological order, so they'll all follow each other in time. Anyway, after my responses to your reviews, here is the next chapter:**

 _xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I love villains doing the really evil stuff as well. There's definitely going to be more of that (though not right this chapter)! It'll also focus on the heroes and how they adapt to a life ruled by villainy, so there's a bit of both._

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17:_ _Here's the next chapter._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

It was a day like any other. The birds were singing, the people were working and the villains were planning their next move in their conquest of Auradon. This was during the early days of the conquest But not everyone planned ahead. Not everyone needed to.

The wooden doors of the castle creaked as they opened. Two young ladies in long dresses pulled it open. They groaned as they pulled, not used to doing this kind of work. But they had to do this because there was nobody else to do this for them. They stepped aside and an older lady, who wore a crimson gown, walked inside. With her black cat by her side, she strolled into the large hall. Her eyes inspected the area, taking in each detail. When she had finished later, a smile briefly appeared on her face.

"Ladies, we're home," Lady Tremaine said. Lucifer ran around, chasing a mouse he had seen. Lady Tremaine encouraged this - if it was one of her step-daughter's little helpers, she'd gladly get rid of him.

Her daughters walked inside the castle as well, dragging their luggage behind them. Each pulled two bags with much difficulty into the hall. It was not much compared to what they used to own before they had to go and live on the Isle of the Lost, but it still was enough to fit in those four large bags. Two of them belonged to their mother, the other two were from the sisters. Anastasia and Drizella dropped their luggage off in the hall and walked away, presumably to try and find the kitchen. They journey from Neverland to Cinderellasburg had been an exhausting one, and they were hungry, especially after the labor they've endured.

Lady Tremaine did not follow them. She did not need to know where the kitchen was - only the servants needed such information. No, she preferred to inspect the castle. She could only accept the best from her new home, after all. Lucifer came back to her, not interested in the mouse anymore, and he followed his mistress.

On their way through the hallways, Lucifer meowed warned Lady Tremaine. She turned her head and caught a glimpse of a young girl, younger than her daughters, staring at her. The girl pulled back her head at the same time Lady Tremaine turned her head, but still, the older woman had seen it.

Without further hesitation, Lady Tremaine walked over to the girl who was hiding around the corner. The girl was still there, leaning against the wall. She had not dared to move.

"You," Lady Tremaine said and the girl turned her head. She was terrified. "Take our bags from the man hall to our rooms." The girl still did not move. If she were afraid before, she was now confused as well. Maybe she had been expecting something bad to happen to her, maybe she expected a punishment.

This was taking too long.

"Now," Lady Tremaine added, using her more authoritarian voice this time, while Lucifer hissed at her. The girl eventually nodded and walked away with a hastened pace, to do what the lady asked of her.

Lady Tremaine shook her head. Good staff was hard to find these days.

She continued her walk through the castle. She was not yet done with her inspection of the castle. But her tour came to a halt in the next corridor. She came across a painting, hanging central with at the other side a door. It probably led to a master bedroom.

But Lady Tremaine focused on the painting that had caught her interest. It depicted Cinderella and her prince, standing against a plain background. Both of them were smiling brightly. The white dress Cinderella wore implied this was painted in honor of their wedding day. What the prince wore could never be an indication of time, as he usually wore the same outfit or a slight variation of it. They were glowing with happiness.

Disgusting.

A door slammed and Lady Tremaine and her cat turned their heads to the source of the noise. A man in his thirties had just come out a second door at the end of the hallway. He flinched because of the noise he'd made and froze when he saw his new mistress.

Lady Tremaine approached the man, Lucifer following her. Like the servant girl, he was frozen, trembling from head to toe. A small smirk appeared on her face. Good to know she still instilled fear in others.

"Don' hurt me, please," the man said when Lady Tremaine had come close enough to hit him. "I don' wanna get into any trouble."

"Then tell me," Lady Tremaine said, "where are Cinderella and her _prince_?" She still was bitter over the prince choosing her instead of one of her daughters.

"They left, ma'am." The man answered quickly, without missing a beat.

Lady Tremaine rose an eyebrow. Did they, now? Were they so afraid of a confrontation?

"Do you happen to know where they went?" She'd been looking forward to seeing them again. If they did not plan on returning, she would make sure to find them herself.

The man shook his head. "No, ma'am. They didn' tell anyone."

Lady Tremaine pursed her lips. "Too bad," she said, folding her arms. "Did they tell you when they are returning?"

"I don' think they're comin' back." The man flinched after he responded. Lady Tremaine rolled her eyes. What a sorry excuse for a human being. As if she was going to punish this servant for something his former bosses had not told him. She may not be the best person in the world, but she wasn't that evil either.

"That's a shame," Lady Tremaine replied. There was a short pause, during which neither of them spoke. The man just stood there, awaiting her next command while Lady Tremaine waited to see if he was going to do anything.

Eventually, she waved her hand. "I want dinner at seven. You can go now."

The man nodded, muttering a quick 'yes, ma'am' and walked off. If Tremaine had not told him to leave, he would've remained in the hallways. It seemed he walked away as fast as he humanly could without making it look like he was running away from his new boss.

Lady Tremaine continued her inspection of the castle. After half an hour, she went straight to the study. The sunlight streamed into the room, and Lady Tremaine sat down at the desk near the windows. She took a piece of paper and a pen and noted down everything 'wrong' with the castle, and what the servants needed to change tomorrow. Removing the painting of Cinderella and her husband was the first item on the list. After two hours, she had finished her list. Her daughters would agree with her: a lot had to change if they were going to live here, including the attitude of their staff towards them.

With one more hour to kill before dinner was served, she reread every item on her list. As she was rereading them, her thoughts wandered off to the reason why she was now sitting here: her alliance with the other inhabitants of the Isle. Anastasia and Drizella detested it and so did their mother, but they tolerated it. After all, to get off that dirty, barren island they had needed the help of that short-lived alliance. This place was much better than she could have imagined, truly an improvement, living in her step-daughter's former castle.

People would, however, still consider it Cinderella's home, and not the Tremaines'. So Cinderella was a problem. They had to get rid of her.

Cinderella... Lady Tremaine took a deep breath, to calm down. In any other situation, she would stay calm. Yet, this was Cinderella, and she ridiculed the Tremaines with her marriage to the prince. She ridiculed them by only existing.

They could always want to return home, once they were certain the coast was clear. If she ever set foot in this castle again, Lady Tremaine swore, she would be dead by nightfall. She and her prince, of course. Or maybe the prince first, to see the look on Cinderella's face as the world fell apart around her.

A bounty. That's what she had to do, to place a bounty on their heads. She did not want to waste any of her precious time looking for the girl and her husband. When there's a big enough prize, she could convince hunters all over Auradon to find them for her.

Lady Tremaine smiled. That was a good idea. Wanted dead or alive, though rather dead than alive. Cinderella and Prince Charming would have to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders. They would have to live like refugees, always doubting about where someone's loyalties lie. The thought amused her.

She finished re-reading her list right before dinner. She stood up and left the study, to go to the dining hall. She found her daughters there, who were also used to dinners at seven and had expected the same to happen here.

Every day after this one went peacefully. They occasionally had to encourage the staff to be quicker and more obedient, but nothing else of importance happened in the castle. The only times when there wasn't peace in the castle, were the moments when Drizella and Anastasia decided to argue about something.

Lady Tremaine and her daughters were mentioned in the history books. People were going to read about the Conquest of Auradon and that she was one of only four villains who did not use violence or magic of any kind to rise to power in a certain area. She was going to be mentioned alongside Gaston, Claude Frollo, and Hades. The history books would tell everyone that nothing much eventful happened. That the husbands of her daughters moved into the castle and that her grandchildren grew up there. That Lady Tremaine settled down and ruled.

The people did not complain about the change, either, because nothing changed for them. Life went on, and they barely noticed the change of ruler until Lady Tremaine one day decided to inspect the town over which she ruled.

This seemingly perfect life lasted for a long time and still continues to this day, even after Maleficent had lost to the alliance.


	3. Emperor's last groove

**Hello everybody! After a longer period of time, now, here is the third chapter of this story. As the title suggests, yes, it's going to be about Kuzco. I couldn't leave him out of the picture, now, could I? Anyway, you can read the chapter after I've replied to the reviews from last chapter:**

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17: __Here's the next chapter._

 _Mustang52:_ _Yeah, it sort of is. Most of them also tie in with what is mentioned in 'Warriors' or what could be relevant in next installments. And there's not only going to be prequel material, but also sequel material set right after Warriors. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Kuzco had fought harder than he ever had before in his entire life, including his skirmishes with Yzma. What was he fighting for, then? Something the leaders of other nations had already agreed on: Kuzco could keep his empire, so it would not become part of Auradon. It lay on the border with Auradon, to the left of an ocean and south of Olympus and the borderlands. Only later in his life, he started appreciating the position of his empire, thinking about the economic advantages. He maintained good financial relationships with Auradon and other nations, and his empire became a big player when they started to export gold. Not bad for a twenty-year-old, the emperor often thought to himself.

Those financial relationships enabled him to hear stories about the things that were going on in Auradon. It started as mere rumors, which did not even reach him, but were spread among the merchants. When the villains hit the mainland, the news finally reached Kuzco as well. He continued to trade, telling the merchants to report back to him directly. And so, he learned that the villains had left the Isle and had come to the mainland, ready to take their revenge.

Kuzco did not care as much in the beginning. After all, they weren't out to get him, right? But then he remembered: Yzma lived there as well. She got off the Isle. She would come to see him.

So Kuzco prepared himself, not telling anyone how much he actually thought about what was to come. People thought he carelessly let it come to him. They feared Kuzco would only act when it was too late. The only ones who knew what he was planning, was Pacha and his family. He had them prepare for what was to come, going as far as telling them they could better move out of the castle to a village on the Auradonian border, just in case. Of course, they did not just leave him alone and stayed right where they were.

And then, the day came that Yzma arrived at the palace.

Kuzco sat on his throne, waiting. It had always bored him and he normally didn't have the patience to do, but today it was different. Maybe that was what mortal danger did to something as boring as having to wait anxiously. He held one key, one master key to open and close all doors, in his hand. He played with it, all the while wondering when Pacha would arrive. With Yzma nearing, the need to push this key into his Pacha's hands only grew.

He released a breath when the door finally opened and Pacha walked in. He had a backpack on his back, having packed everything they needed. Personal belongings, food, water. Everything they needed to sustain themselves while they were on the run from Yzma.

For one second, the emperor glanced at the door to his right. The door through which Pacha would leave the palace. It connected the throne room to the kitchen and from there, Pacha knew the way outside. If everything went according to plan, Chicha and the children were already waiting there.

"I've got everything," Pacha announced, taking the emperor out of his thoughts. Kuzco nodded.

"And your family?"

"Is waiting outside." Kuzco nodded once again. Okay, that good. so he was all set to leave. Then what was he waiting for? "C'mon, let's go."

Kuzco looked at the man. He knew this was coming, Pacha inviting him to leave the palace and flee with them to Auradon. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to jump up from his throne and follow him to Auradon. He wanted to run from Yzma, scared as he was because he didn't want his life to end. And yet, he suppressed the urge to do all of those things.

"Oh," Kuzco said. "I can't go yet."

"What?" Pacha asked. He was smart: Kuzco told them to prepare, but the emperor himself hadn't prepared a single thing. "Why not?"

 _Because I've still got to take care of things._ "I'll have to pick up some stuff in my bedroom." Almost all of his belongings were located in his chambers, yes, though not everything lay in his bedroom. He felt bad for lying to Pacha, but it was for his own good. How else could the emperor convince Pacha to leave now?

"Then we'll stop there on our way out," Pacha said. Kuzco shook his head. _No, no, no! You don't get it, get out of here! Pacha, is this the best time to act like a stubborn dad?_

"That's not necessary," he said, surprising himself as to how calm he managed to sound. "Go ahead. Here, use these—" he tossed the master key at Pacha "-and lock all the doors behind you. The key will fit."

Pacha's slow reaction made Kuzco even more anxious. What was he still waiting for? If he didn't leave soon, Kuzco feared that he would just blurt out what he was going to do and if that happened, Pacha probably would not think about abandoning his friend anymore.

"What about you?" Pacha eventually asked him. Kuzco shrugged, as to tell him it wasn't such a big deal. He also shrugged to hide his own nervousness as well, but Pacha did not need to know that.

"There's a secret passage to my room," the emperor said. "You go ahead. We'll meet at the border of Auradon in Calrow in two days' time." He knew Calrow existed – probably the only name of a city in his empire he knew. That was where they would meet up if they got separated while running away. That was where Pacha and family would go.

"But—"

"Don't wait up," Kuzco said quickly, "C'mon, then, go!" Even then, Pacha still hesitated.

"You'll be safe, right?" Kuzco nodded.

"I'm right behind you. See you in Calrow." Finally, the man was convinced that Kuzco would follow and he left the throne room via the door to the kitchen. Kuzco followed him with his gaze, not standing up from his throne. After Pacha had gone through the door, there was a click, as the door was locked. Only after hearing that click, Kuzco relaxed.

There was no secret passage. Even though the concept was awesome, there was none.

For a moment, he doubted. He wanted to run, to flee, to get away before Yzma reached the throne room. He still had time, since she had to go against lots and lots of guards before even reaching the young emperor. More than enough time to change his mind again and prolong his life by some more weeks.

But he stayed. Yzma wanted his head on a plate, that much he was certain of. Even though the woman hadn't been successful in the past, he doubted she would continue the streak. Besides, she wanted _him_ , not necessarily the family he made. If he stalled his personal villainess long enough, they would have enough time to leave and hopefully start a new, safer life in Auradon. Although there were villains there, there were none who would know them.

So he stayed. He placed his arms on the arms of his throne and grasped it tightly. He braced himself and waited for Yzma's arrival.

Two minutes passed. He tapped his fingers without rhythm. Four minutes passed. Still, no sound of Yzma approaching or guards screaming bloody murder. Another half a minute passed. The emperor sighed.

He was bored.

Whenever he had imagined this day, Yzma always reached him quickly. he never thought that she may take her time or would be held up for long. And even if stalling her was part of the plan, the waiting – during which he had nothing to do, except to rehearse his lines – was killing him. not only was he bored, but his anxiousness grew. He also was becoming rather impatient with his former advisor, often calling her out in his mind to hurry up, often retracting that statement and hoping she would show up late.

Then he heard the sound. Kuzco couldn't pinpoint when exactly it had started, but the noise was growing. It was indistinguishable at first, but the louder it became, the clearer he could distinguish sounds in the noise. Is guards – who else could it be – were screaming, shouting, though not all of them in pain. Soon, animals noises mixed with the shouting as the human shield between him and Yzma crumbled. She was approaching, now quicker than he first thought that midday.

The emperor straightened his back when he thought she had reached the guards who stood in front of the throne room. When she entered, she would be pissed and may not even take the chance to monologue. So Kuzco had to keep her going, keep her talking. This time, she did not have any servant to slow her down, either, no idiot that restrained her. He could only buy his surrogate family a few minutes, but it was better than nothing. Sooner than he wanted, she could be sitting on his throne.

He clenched the arms of the throne, angered at the thought of Yzma at the throne and terrified of the way she may have to take it. S _he's not sitting here,_ he reassured himself. _Not while I'm alive._

Okay, that last part did not really help to calm him down, but it was all he could come up with. There was nothing else he could think of. The door swung open and there she was. A maniacal smile lay on her ugly face, her eyes fixated on the emperor. Blood dripped from the knife she held in her hand. The island hadn't changed her, Kuzco noticed. She was still thin and ugly with those almost-visible bones and that gray skin.

"Yzma." After one year of not having seen each other, they finally stood eye to eye again, at about fifteen yards from one another. Kuzco tried not to make his fear to apparent, but he couldn't quite cover it up when talking.

"Kuzco!" she exclaimed, "It's a pleasure to see you again." She did not have to pretend to be glad. He was certain she dreamed of this moment since she was sentenced to live on the Isle of the Lost.

Kuzco gulped. "Really? Because I thought you'd never want to come near me again." _Okay, that sounded good, sounded not-scared. Keep this up and you might fool her._ He never wanted to see her again and hated it that he did not get his way this time. The barrier was supposed to be unbreakable, so how in the world did they get off the Isle? He'd ask if he dared.

"Wrong!" Yzma shouted. The word echoed through the room before she continued. "You see, there's something I –"

"No." Yzma stopped talking, glared at him. She squinted her eyes at him and he trembled. It was only a slight trembling, but he sure hoped Yzma wouldn't notice.

"What?"

Kuzco took one good look at the woman. Since when did she frighten him as much as today? _Since she has that bloody knife in her hand and since I might be next on the list._

"No," the emperor responded in a childish manner. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No!" She was boiling, balled her hands. She may be angered, but it helped Kuzco. He somehow convinced himself he had the situation under control from there on.

"You don't even know what I want!"

"Even so, no!" Kuzco shook his head. "Whatever it is, you're not getting it."

"Then I'll have to take it." She pointed with the knife at Kuzco. Even from that distance, the blood stains were visible. His breathing accelerated, going faster than before, and he managed to just keep it together, fiercely hoping Yzma did not notice. _Play it cool, Kuzco. You've got this._

His grip on the arm of his throne tightened. "You can't because I am the emperor and I command you to stand down." For a few seconds, all they could hear was the silence. It was followed by Yzma's grinning and, eventually, laughing as if he'd told a good joke.

"I don't listen to you," she said. Kuzco shrugged. _Play it cool, play it cool, play it cool…_

"See, that's your problem," he leaned a bit closer, "If you'd just accepted that—"

"No!" Yzma yelled. Even though he was terrified, he glared at her. How dare she interrupt him? It seemed such a small issue to worry about, especially since bigger threats needed his attention more urgently. Even so, he had every right to worry about his authority. He still was the emperor. "Stop stalling!"

"Stalling?" He tried to sound genuinely surprised, all the while panicking because, oh shit, she knew what he was up to. "I'm not stalling, you're stalling!" She was right, though. The longer he stalled, the more time Pacha had to leave the castle and get him and his family out of danger's way. If that meant angering Yzma more and more with every word that left his mouth, it would be worth it. Knowing her, she would first enjoy the first moments of her life without the emperor on the throne before going after the people he could call his friends, if that was her plan at all.

"Don't you turn this around!" Not much after she said this, her eyes lit up in realization. Sweat dripped from Kuzco's brow. It was too late to run now. Maybe he also shouldn't have made his previous statement in such a dramatic manner. She walked some feet closer and Kuzco straightened his back again. He'd do anything to still look like he was powerful, to seem to be in control of the situation, even though the opposite was true.

"What are you so afraid of?" _Oh shit, she knows!_ "Dying? Pain? Because I can assure you, I can make it as long and painful as possible." Surprisingly, he feared not only both, but also what she may do if she found his surrogate family. How uncharacteristic of him, caring about others when he was the one who stared in the face of death. He did not like it, though it was the least he could do for the ones that took him in when nobody else would.

"Then do it." The words escaped his mouth before he could think it through, before he found anything else to say. He not only surprised Yzma but also himself. And to his great shock, he continued the rhetoric like that. "What's the matter, Yzma? Are you afraid to kill me? I mean, you've had so many chances at so many times, and each time you failed. Or maybe you didn't, not really. Did you delay something you didn't wanna do in the first place?"

Big mistake. Yzma turned red, fuming with anger. She clenched the knife so tightly her knuckles turned white and became even more visible. "What!?" She yelled, and Kuzco took that as his cue to brace himself. "That's it!"

She did not hesitate and ran towards him. Kuzco held onto the throne, his knuckles almost as white Yzma's. Kuzco shut his eyes, crouched and waited for the impact, praying to any and all gods to 'please, let me live, I'm too young to die!'.

Nothing happened. The emperor hesitantly opened one eye. He immediately wished he hadn't. The blade was mere inches away from his face, Yzma's unstable hand making it tremble, so it looked like it moved closer to him. Yzma herself was smiling widely in an evil manner – an ugly way of smiling, in Kuzco's opinion. Genuine smiles were much better. It did not take him long to realize Yzma rendered this train of thought irrelevant, as her wicked grin also was a genuine one.

"Any last words?" Kuzco lifted his head and straightened his back – only cowards hunched down in the face of danger. He spat in her face, catching her off-guard.

"Go find yourself another throne," Kuzco said. "This one's mine." _Good luck, Pacha, you'll need it._

Yzma wiped the saliva off of her face and then planted the knife into Kuzco's heart. She immediately pulled it out and laughed. The day she had been looking forward to since his birth had finally come: Kuzco was no more.

After this murderous spree and turning several people into different kinds of animals, she needed to sit down. She still was a rather old woman, after all. On what better seat to do so, than the throne?

Unfortunately, even in death, Kuzco refused to get off of his throne. He was still in it, his corpse slumping in the most important chair of the empire. Yzma pulled the body off of the throne and dragged him away from it before sitting down. The seat was still warm.

This was it. This was exactly what she had imagined when she was locked up on the Isle. Sitting on the throne, a dead emperor at her feet. The only person missing from the scene was Kronk. The Auradonian authorities had decided he didn't fit on the Isle, as he never intentionally hurt or harmed anyone. They unanimously decided Yzma's influence made him behave in an evil way from time to time and they allowed him to live on the mainland, in

Of course, she had to think about securing her position. Her reputation alone was enough, but she was old and may have to go to Hades sooner than she wanted. She needed a successor. She recently heard the news that Kronk had fathered a son a couple of months ago. As far as she knew, he had not yet fled his house. He still lived at the same place. That would make her plans all the easier. She already picked a name for the boy: Zevon. A name worthy of a successor.

Yes. She'd take care of that later. But first, Yzma enjoyed her victory.


	4. Tomorrow comes

**Hey guys, and happy Halloween! Here it is, the fourth one-shot of the series. Also, Descendants 2 has finally aired over here. This means I can start creating the plot for the direct 'Warriors' sequel, which is going to be based off of Descendants 2.** **Anyway, you'll find the chapter after I've responded to your reviews:**

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17:_ _Here is the next chapter._

 _Because I Can and Will:_ _Kuzco, yes! Nobody is safe in this universe, not even this peculiar emperor. But the family did make it. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The sun was shining brightly over the small road to Adeleyn while the cold winds blew. Three strangers walked this road, trying to get to the village as soon as they could. There still were some miles to cover even though this was one of the lesser known routes to Adeleyn, people still used it. People still could recognize them.

The two men and the pregnant woman continued even when the patrol car drove by. You couldn't miss it: a clean, white car riding down the concrete road, a red heart recently painted on the hood. The woman and older man held their heads down, hoping the cops – no, _goons_ – would not notice them. the younger man was terrified as well, but he found the courage to glance at them when they drove by.

The men in the car wore sunglasses, so he could not read them or see whether or not they were looking at him. The red hearts on the chest of their white shirts were rather prominent. They had to be wearing those clothes to stay alive, and he wondered whether they were forced to carry around those spears if they had to patrol on foot.

The car passed them without giving them a passing glance. Once, the younger man would've looked around in curiosity. Now, he has taught himself that it only made him look suspicious, something that could cost him his life.

"I liked it better when Facilier was in charge here," the older man said with a thick French accent. At least Facilier lacked the oversight, at least he did not punish people at random or when they broke the curfew. But Mulan's friends killed him in retaliation. With Facilier gone, the Queen of Hearts took his land. Every petty crime became just as deadly as the worst crime. After all, she still liked to behead people.

"I know, Lumière," Adam said, "but they can't get to us." As long as they did not do anything that could attract her attention, they could travel through her lands. Adam would still feel better if they left this place. But doctor Burgh, an old friend of Lumière's, was waiting in Adeleyn. He was the only one they could trust to help Belle give birth. Any other friend would've helped, of course, but there was nobody more trustworthy than doctor Burgh.

The trio walked with a steady pace – Lumière up front, Belle in the middle and Adam behind her. The speed at which they walked was dictated by how fast Belle could walk at some point. They almost had reached Adeleyn – they only needed to walk for half an hour until an hour to get there. Adam knew his wife. Sometimes, she slowed down a bit, only to go back to the previous speed after a couple of minutes. And even though he knew nothing about the matter of giving birth, he did know women have contractions that can sometimes be painful. He interpreted her slowing down as feeling these contractions and hoped the baby would stay put for another hour.

Belle slowed down again and Adam followed suit. It wasn't a big deal – she must have another contraction. He wished he could tell her they would rest, but they already had a break half an hour. Also, they were still fugitives and on the run, not necessarily from Gaston.

She stopped, placing her right hand on her belly and the other on her side. Adam held her left arm to support it and stood next to her. Lumière now also stopped in his tracks, turning his head to the couple.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"The baby's coming," she said quickly. Adam blinked once, twice and his flushed.

"N-now?" No, not now! Anytime would've been better than now.

"Yes, now," Belle confirmed and Adam started to panic. He felt like he needed to do something, but all he could think of were the circumstances. Here, on this road, only half an hour away from doctor Burgh, who was going to help them with this birth, in these worst of the worst times to be born. Couldn't the kid have waited until they reached Adeleyn?

Lumière, upon hearing this, promptly turned around and came to the couple. Once Lumière was at her side, Adam took off his jacket and put it on the ground. They helped her sit down on the ground. Belle puffed and Adam panicked, for he didn't know what he was supposed to do or say.

"Can you hold it in?" he asked. He regretted it immediately when Belle glared back at him. Not the best question to ask in this situation, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Lumière took off his own jacket and wrapped it around Belle, to protect her from the cold winds that still blew. She thanked him for it.

"You're doing great," he told her, "You tell us when you're ready to go again" Adam looked at the road to Adeleyn while Lumière spoke. They still were at least half an hour away from the town. With Belle in this condition, he doubted whether she could walk that far.

He waited for her to be able to go on. He counted the seconds, and every minute felt like an eternity on this road. He could only think about what would happen if they got caught and recognized - they still were on the run. And the kid… What would happen if it decided it wanted to be born? Adam already did not know what to do, and he dreaded having to help his wife give birth, if only because he feared to screw things up and losing her and their unborn child.

He was so in thought, he couldn't hear the car coming. He realized something was up when Lumière kept staring to the right, at something behind the former King. Adam turned around, now finally becoming aware that the car came nearer. However, he sighed once he saw it. A dark blue car - not one the Queen of Hearts would use.

The car slowed down and stopped near them. An older woman stepped out of it and came to them.

"Are you okay?" She asked them.

"She needs to see a doctor," Lumière said, "Are you going to Adeleyn?"

For a moment, Adam feared they would be recognized. Not every couple traveled around with an older, clearly French-speaking butler.

The woman glanced at Belle, her eyes resting on the big belly. She then rather quickly made a decision.

"Get in the car," she said. The woman helped Belle to stand up, together with Lumière. Adam picked up his jacket and walked towards the car himself. He did not get in, though. First, he watched how they helped Belle get into the car. When he was certain she was safely in there, he stepped in there himself. Belle sat on the left, while Lumière occupied the middle back seat.

Again, Adam had just watched out of fear that he'd screw things up. He couldn't really explain this fear, but it was present and a big nuisance. At least Lumière was still around and able to help Belle without being afraid of some irrational consequences.

"We can get you to the hospital in Cinderellasburg-" the man said.

"Thanks, but if you'd take us to Adeleyn, we'd already be grateful," Adam said. The man did not react for a while, keeping his hands rested on the steering wheel. Adam wondered if he said anything wrong, wondered what the man was thinking about.

The man started the engine. "To Adeleyn it is," he said and they drove off. Adam sighed in relief. In Adeleyn, nobody knew the' except for doctor Burgh, who knew Lumière. If they got anywhere near Cinderellasburg, a major city on high alert, they would definitely be recognized.

During the ten minute drive to the town, he talked with the elderly couple while Lumière helped Belle in every way that he could. He learned a lot about them – they liked to talk about themselves and the family – and did not gave much away. If they knew too much, they could be persecuted by the local authorities for knowing and helping refugees, whether the couple knew who those refugees were or not.

The ten minutes flew by quickly, and before they knew it, they arrived in Adeleyn. The couple dropped them off at the marketplace, with Adam helping Belle get out of the car while Lumière thanked them for the ride here.

"Good luck, you three," the woman told them before the car drove off again. They watched the car leave. Once it was out of sight, Adam and Belle followed Lumière. He knew these roads better than them, for he had come here many times before them.

Five minutes seemed to be too much for Belle. During those five minutes, they halted some seconds to let Belle recover. Adam started to carry her after two minutes, to get to doctor Burgh.

Finally, after what seemed to be a long time, they arrived at doctor Burgh's practice. Lumière opened the door and held it open until Belle and Adam finally walked into the waiting room. Belle now almost screamed in pain. Who knew childbirth could be that painful? Well, Adam did know, but he never thought much about it until this day.

"Samuel?" Lumière opened the door to the actual practice. "Samuel, are you home?"

There came no response for a little while. Then, they heard someone walk down some stairs. The old doctor walked into the waiting room, squinting his eyes – the glasses did not help him too much with distinguishing who's who. Adam's confidence in the doctor decreased as soon as he saw him. Doctor Burgh smiled when he became aware of the three people in the waiting room.

"Lumière!" he said, pulling Lumière in a tight hug. "It's been too long, old friend? What brings you here?"

"Doctor Burgh," Adam responded, "My wife is close to giving birth. Please help her."

The doctor nodded, a serious look on his face replacing the smile. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her inside!" Adam did as he was told while Lumière held the door open for them. Adam did not look at all the devices in this practice but rather focused on getting his wife on the bed.

What followed next was one big blur. Adam did not remember the details and everything seemed to happen so fast. He held his wife's hand, even when she squeezed his and almost broke it during moments of pain. Other than that, he remembered Lumière walking around at the request of the doctor to get him the needed material and remembered Belle screaming, shouting, crying as time went on. He remembered hating having to hear this and remembered telling her it would be okay.

This daze ended when the baby cried. Adam sighed in relief as his wife stopped screaming. They looked at each other, knowing the other felt the same bliss. By the time they turned their heads back to doctor Burgh and Lumière, their friend already wrapped the child in a blanket, to keep it warm.

"It's a boy," Lumière said, handing the baby to his mother. If it was even possible, they smiled wider than they've ever done in their life. Especially Adam thought he had never grinned more widely. He could barely believe that he was a father. He had a son. His son, his little guy.

"Ben," Belle said. Adam nodded. Ben… perfect name for a perfect baby. He would grow up so beautifully.

This bliss soon turned to uncertainty. So far he had been able to protect his family. So far, they were 'safe'. But that definition of safety did not really apply to them, not as long as every villain on the mainland hunted them down and wanted to kill them. And if they weren't safe, then surely his son would never be.

He wasn't the first of this new generation. yet, like everyone else, he still had to live in this cruel world that would never accept him as the 'son of Adam and Belle'. His very existence was unwanted by the current rulers of Auradon. Any child, no matter how small, grows up, and they could start causing trouble in their adulthood. The next generation of children of heroes, Ben's generation, posed a threat.

Adam shook his head. _No,_ he thought. _Not now._ Those were worries for later. Tomorrow, he could worry. Today, he should allow himself to take a deep breath and enjoy the first moments of being a father. Tomorrow, he could worry again.


	5. Purgatory

**Hello, everybody! I'm back... after a month and a half of nothing. I was a little caught up with school (so many assignments...) and Nanowrimo. The next update might take a while as well, as my exams are coming closer and I need to start focusing on those. Anyway, in other news, I'm done with the outline for the sequel, which means it will soon (probably the end of January, though) be published on this site. But, until then, you've still got these one-shots. Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

 _Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…_

Judge Claude Frollo lay in his bed, hands clasped together, staring at the ceiling. If anyone would have come in, they may have thought he had died in the middle of the prayer. He barely blinked, staring not at the ceiling, but at his Father in Heaven, somewhere up high, someplace that could not be seen with the bare eye.

The judge hesitated. He tightened the grip on his hands and took a deep breath. It almost caused him to cough. He had to do this. There was not much time left.

He prayed in silence; his voice wasn't the best anymore. He did not pray for anything. He was too weak to go to the church in Sanctuary, so he had to confess from his bed.

He remembered climbing on the roof of the Notre Dame. He remembered trying to kill the gypsy and the monstrosity he raised. He remembered falling into the fire, the flames consuming him.

When he took his first breath after these events, he thought of it as a miracle. God spared him; God told him to live a little while longer. However, it soon became clear that this miracle was no miracle at all. It was a punishment.

He lived, but he was trapped. One small island, filled with the dirtiest of people and the worst of man he had ever witnessed. These men and women, they were godless. They were heathens, barbarians. He often wondered what purpose he served to be on that island, for did he not belong on the mainland? Were these people not considerably worse than him?

No, they were not. They had sinned and committed crimes, just as he had done. It was no miracle, but the work of God nonetheless: the Lord had given him a mirror. There was more than enough time to think about their behavior and stories as well as his own. He came to realize he was no better than them. He had killed people just as mercilessly as Cruella had killed puppies. He had manipulated a young man the same way Gothel used Rapunzel. While he thought he was a saint, he definitely had not acted like one.

Satan must have sent a demon, Frollo thought. That, or Satan himself manipulated him. He blamed them, but that did not stop him from blaming himself, too. While Satan had encouraged him to do certain things, Frollo did not need to have listened to him. Yet, he acted nonetheless. Satan must have given him those awful thoughts. For who else would have been able to compel the fair judge to lust after a gypsy woman?

When those scoundrels got off of the island, Frollo followed. He was present when they drew the map of a new Auradon. On his request, they did not give him as vast a territory as the others. But there was a little piece of land that did belong to him – you could fit Paris times four into that piece of land. He left the heathens as soon as he knew where to go. He thanked God for this opportunity

But He was not done testing him. When Frollo arrived, the people were scared. They feared him. for the first time, he felt pity for them. They had to have a God to turn to, but theirs seemed to have abandoned them. That, or He was testing them all.

Frollo helped built a church in the middle of the small village. It was a small, wooden thing. It was nothing compared to the glorious Notre Dame, but it was more than enough for these people. He read them from the Bible, he helped them whenever he could. He pushed aside any prejudices he held before and helped anyone that needed it. He lived without sinning – he had not known what kind of feeling that was!

After the first year without sin, people started to come there. They stayed around for some days, enjoyed the help and sanctuary from the judge. Some continued their travels, others settled in the town.

The town grew into a village, which in turn became a city. It needed a name, for it had been nameless before. He asked the locals to pick a name, for they had lived here longer than he had and might have better ideas than him. The vote was near unanimous: they officially lived in Sanctuary.

Travelers kept coming. One of them was a wizard. The old man did not want to share his name with anyone, but after he left, Sanctuary was protected by magic. In the words of said old man, "no man that means to bring harm to Sanctuary will be able to enter."

In the meantime, Judge Frollo had grown old and weary as well. He grew ill and when he was sick, it took longer for him to recover. He started to show up less and less in public. He missed the third and fourth mayor election – he could not get out of bed at that time. Three months ago, he contracted a fever. He still lay in his bed, unable to get up. Any movement hurt him. He was getting weaker with each passing week, day, hour. God was calling him, and Frollo could not say no.

So he clasped his hands together and confessed. He did not have long anymore, for soon he would be gone, leaving one life and moving on to the next.

 _Father_ , he concluded his confession. _I am not worthy of Heaven, but I will await your judgment._

Going to Heaven had always been his ultimate goal. That was something he worked towards all of his life. Hell had always been a good motivator: if you don't sin too much – because man will inevitably sin – you don't have to go there. Going to Hell could happen still, but thinking back on all the sins he's committed in his previous life, Heaven seemed to be out of the question.

Luckily, there was one other place he could go to. There always was Purgatory, the place between Heaven and Hell. Not as atrocious as Hell would be, but not as bright as Heaven. Not a permanent stop – that was where people who sinned and regretted it could be purged before moving on to Heaven eventually. The time spent there depended on how big the sins were, but everyone eventually made it to Heaven.

Frollo believed he would have to spend an eternity in Purgatory if God decided he didn't belong in Hell. He once was the most sinful man in Paris and feared that God's forgiveness may not apply to his past life. He would not dare to complain once he reached Purgatory – he would have deserved it, and he planned to spent his time there praying and helping lost souls who would reach Heaven before he could. Maybe he'd never get to see Heaven after all, but this place in between would be more than enough. He trusted the Lord's judgment – He would make the right choice, and Frollo would accept His decision.

The door creaked as it opened. A young woman entered the room. A smile appeared on Frollo's face. Sophie had been only thirteen when Frollo had taken her in seven years ago. A young orphan, having resorted to stealing to survive, he had made sure she would never have to steal again. Spending time on the island had opened his eyes, had shown him he had been a bad father. In her hands, she had a glass of water. She placed it on the small table beside his bed.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked him. Frollo nodded.

"Come closer, my child." She obeyed, sat down next to the bed and took his hand.

She was beautiful. Her fierceness and kindness reminded him strongly of the woman he once lusted after. He had long turned his back to that lust, of which the memory now filled him with hate. But he had since righted his wrongs and repented.

"What is it, father?" Sophie asked him. She sensed something was wrong. Clever girl.

"Listen carefully," Frollo said. "You are smart and just and kind. You are a good person, and there are few of those these days. The people of Sanctuary need a person like you."

Sophie's eyes widened – she realized what her adoptive father was trying to tell her. Yet, she did not interrupt him.

"I am old," he continued, "and will soon be gone. I feel my strength fading as we speak. Sophie, Sanctuary needs a protector. Sanctuary needs you."

Sophie had started to shake her head. She could not make peace with the judge dying. she fought back the tears. "You can't go," Sophie said, "Not now, not when there is still so much to do."

Frollo smiled again. "God works in mysterious ways. You will lead these lost souls, Sophie. You are more than capable."

"I don't want to do it without you." His grip on her hand tightened.

"I will watch over you," he responded. "And if I cannot, then the angels will. You can do this." Sophie got tongue-tied and only nodded. A single tear rolled over her cheek.

"I love you, father," she said.

"I love you too," he responded. It was barely more than a whisper. He could not speak any louder – the conversation had taken its toll. "Prepare the bells. They will ring tonight."

Sophie nodded and finally walked away. She was slow and glanced back many times, as if that would be the last time she would see him alive. Frollo hoped this wasn't the case, but he had no control of when God would let him pass away.

The judge closed his eyes. Sophie was the right choice – she would protect the people of Sanctuary just like he had always protected them. He had given his blessing to the child and he was ready for God to take him to Purgatory.

The bells of the new Notre Dame rang when judge Claude Frollo passed away that evening.


	6. Farewell

**Yeah, I'm back again... From now on, I'll try to write get these chapters out faster. I'm back to writing this and I promise you, you won't have to wait for months anymore to get a new chapter. So, without further ado, here it is, the long overdue next chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The seven-year-old boy was watching through the window, waiting for his uncle to arrive. His parents had told him to watch out for his uncle. If he or anyone else came around, the boy had to yell so his parents would hear it. He did not understand why strangers could be so important, but he had to do it. He would do it. There were many things his parents had taught him in his short life and one of those things was that, no matter what, he always had to listen to Mom and Dad.

Another thing he learned was to never ask difficult questions. For as long as he could remember, he had not lived in one house for too long. They always moved around and sometimes, they left in the middle of the night. As a result, there weren't many things the boy had for himself. There were just some sets of clothes and one doll; a brave knight with a sowed-on sword. The boy did not remember whether it was his mother or father that gave the knight to him, but the boy loved it and the stories that his parents always told about this knight.

Something moved outside. The boy perched up and watched the trees surrounding his family's cabin intensively. He did not have to wait long. A man in a worn red cape rode out of the bushes on a white horse.

"Mom! Dad!" The boy yelled, a smile appearing on his face. He turned his head to the inside of the cabin. "Uncle Philip's here!"

He jumped up and raced to the door. He opened it right as Philip got off his horse.

"Uncle Philip! Uncle Philip!" He yelled and ran towards the guest. Philip opened his arms and embraced him warmly. The boy did not let go of Philip, squeezing him tightly.

"Careful. Or else he might not catch his breath." That was dad's voice. The boy let go of Philip and allowed him to talk to his parents, though the boy stayed around to listen.

There was a smile on Philip's face as he extended his hand. "It's good to see you again, Frederick."

"Same here," Frederick said and he shook Philip's hand. The uncle went on to kiss Mom on the cheek. Uncle Philip looked nothing like Mom and Dad, but the boy did not think about it too much. Family did not have to look like each other.

"How did you get away?" Mom asked him.

"I rode away as fast as I could and didn't look back," Philip answered. The smiles slowly faded from their faces and the boy wondered whether it was something anyone had done. The silence was painfully obvious and the boy looked up to their faces, trying to figure out what was wrong and why the mood so suddenly changed.

"Are you ready?" Philip eventually asked them. He glanced at the boy. "I know it's hard, but…"

"You can keep him safe," Frederick said. "That's all that matters. Even if it means that we live separated for a while."

The boy wanted to listen longer because he wanted to know what his father and Uncle Philip were going to talk about, but his mother grabbed his attention when she talked to him.

"Let's go inside," she said, taking the boy's hand. He listened to her and was led inside. They walked to the old couch in the biggest room and Mom told her son to sit down while she was going to get something for him.

It took too long. It always seemed to take so long and quickly, the boy became bored. He stood up from his seat and moved to the nearby window again. It was warmer inside than it was outside but he still wanted to know what Dad and Uncle Philip were talking about. He couldn't hear them and Dad stood with his back to the cabin, but the boy could see the worry on Uncle Philip's face. He looked strict, but there still was a softness in his face.

When his mother came downstairs, she was holding a small duffle bag in her hands and walked towards him with it. "Here," she said and handed it to him. It was almost half his size and was kind of heavy, but it could hold it.

"You're going to hold on tight, okay?" she said, a bright smile on his face. "You're never going to let go of it."

The boy nodded and for the first time today, he noticed something was wrong. Everyone around him was worried for… some reason. There were stains on Mom's cheeks as if she'd been crying. Something was wrong, but the boy couldn't begin to understand what or how. He just knew not to ask questions and follow his parents' orders and advice, which has kept him alive and happy for as long as he could remember.

Mom took his hand again and together they walked back outside. Dad turned his head when the door creaked open and smiled at his boy. He looked at the knight doll in his son's hands and pointed at it.

"You're going to have to put it away," Frederick said. "You don't want it to get lost, now, would you?" He knelt to his knees and reached out with an open hand. Hesitantly, the boy handed the toy to his father, who tucked it away in the duffle bag.

"There," he said, "Much better, ain't it?" There was a smile on his face, but Dad looked sad. He was going to start crying any second. It confused the boy. He could not take it anymore, he was too curious.

"What's going on?" the boy finally asked. If the mood was already bad, it just worsened again. Maybe he shouldn't have asked.

"You're going to live with me for a while," Philip said, looking at the boy. "You, me and Audrey."

"Why?"

Mom and Dad looked at each other. Neither seemed to know what they wanted to say until Dad spoke.

"You'll be safe," Frederick said, "There are bad people coming for us. It's not your fault. Uncle Philip will keep you safe, okay?" He ruffled through the boy's blonde hair.

"And what about you?"

"We'll be safe," Mom said, repeating this a couple of time. If she wanted to say anything else to him, she couldn't. She was on the verge of crying again, and Frederick placed an arm around his wife's shoulder to comfort her. She looked at Philip.

"You take care of him, okay?" Mom asked Philip with a broken voice.

"Don't worry, Ella," Philip said. "I'll keep him safe."

His parents hugged their child one more time before Philip gently moved him away from them. He placed the boy up on the horse and from up there, everything seemed so big. It had to be how grown-ups saw the world.

"Hold on tight," Philip said and the boy grabbed the horse's neck. Philip climbed on the horse himself, the bag over his shoulders, and after one last farewell, he drove away.

Everything went so fast and the boy got scared, but soon he got used to the movements. It wasn't his first time on a horse, but that first shock was always there. Once he had gotten used to the rhythm, he needed to ask the burning question on his mind.

"Will I see Mom and Dad again?"

"Of course you will, Chad," Philip answered, "Of course you will."

* * *

Philip wished he could have kept this promise. Since Maleficent thought he and Audrey were dead, Chad living with them was the safest option. Frederick and Ella only thought of protecting their young son and giving him his best chance. It was always their intention to take him back once they were one hundred percent certain that they could raise their son without having to look over their shoulder all of the time.

A week or two later, Philip received news. Lady Tremaine's men had found the woman she once so cruelly called Cinderella and her husband, Prince Charming. They had locked the Charmings inside their little cabin in the woods and had set it on fire. Someone later found their corpses among the ashes as well as a magical glass slipper that had survived the fire.

He had yet to tell Chad that his parents were dead. For now, Philip spared the boy by not telling him what happened. If Chad asked for his parents, if he wanted to see them again, Philip would tell him. But for now, he stayed silent.

Since that day, Philip was unofficially Chad's father, and a father should always protect his children.


End file.
